(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water treatment tank and process for treating contaminated waste water and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a tank and process using an electrochemical treatment of the water for dropping out and stratifying various types of contaminants held in suspension in the waste water.
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,293,400 and 4,378,276 to Liggett, an apparatus with a positively charged aluminum electrode and a negatively charged tubular steel electrode are disclosed for the electrolytic treatment of water. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,587,057 to Metzler et al., an electrocoagulation process is described having electrolytic treaters for treating a highly conductive liquid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,1872,959 to Herbst et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,043,050 and 5,423,962 to Herbst, one of the inventors of the subject invention, Robert J. Herbst describes different types of improved electrolytic systems for treating aqueous solutions using conductive conduits and precipitating various organic and inorganic materials suspended in the solution.
None of the above mentioned prior art electrolytic treatment systems for treating liquids disclose the subject water treatment tank for treating waste water or teach the electrochemical process used with the tank as disclosed herein.
In view of the foregoing, it is a primary objective of the subject invention to treat contaminated water and waste water for separating various types of contaminants from the water in a water treatment tank. The tank may include one or more water treatment compartments and made in various sizes and shapes for treating small and large volumes of wastewater. The water treatment tank may be lightweight and portable or made into a stationary installation.
Another object of the subject process is to treat the contaminated water using an electrochemical process wherein suspended and dissolved solids in the water are removed and the treated clean water is decanted from the tank for reuse or discharge.
Still another object of the invention is the contaminants are allowed to stratify in the tank with sludge settling to a bottom of the tank and lighter than water contaminates floating on top of the treated water. The sludge is removed from the bottom of the tank and filtered in filter baskets. The contaminants, floating on top of the treated water, are removed by a vacuum pump and are also filtered using the filter baskets.
Yet another object of the water treatment process is by using an air spray manifold, air bubbles move upwardly in and around electrodes for providing a scrubbing effect and carrying away contaminates that might otherwise gather on the electrodes. This feature greatly improves the efficiency of the treatment process.
A further object of the water treatment tank is through the use of an improved electrode design, the time in changing out each electrode assembly is greatly reduced along with improved maintenance and sealing of the electrode assembly next to the side of the wastewater compartments.
The tank includes a tank housing with first and second wastewater receiving compartments. The two compartments are identical and are used alternately when treating the wastewater. A wastewater inlet line is attached to the top of the first compartment for filling the compartment with wastewater. A side of the first compartment includes an annular opening for receiving an electrode assembly. The electrode assembly includes an annular plastic flange with gasket for providing a watertight seal against an outside of the compartment. Attached to the annular flange is a plurality of electrodes extending inside the compartment for treating the wastewater electrochemically. The electrodes are attached to a power supply via electrode cables with the polarity of a current cycle reversed periodically depending on the types of water contaminates being treated. When the cycle is reversed, the contaminants that gather on the electrodes typically fall to the bottom of the tank as sludge. The sludge is drained into a removable filter basket. Each compartment includes an airline to an air spray manifold disposed under the electrode assembly. The air spray manifold is used for circulating air bubbles upwardly in and around the electrodes for providing a scrubbing effect for carrying away contaminates that might gather on the electrodes. The tank also includes a vacuum pump with a vacuum line for removing the contaminants floating on top of the treated water.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those familiar with the electrochemical or electrocoagulation treatment of contaminated water when reviewing the following detailed description, showing novel construction, combination, and elements as herein described, and more particularly defined by the claims, it being understood that changes in the embodiments to the herein disclosed invention are meant to be included as coming within the scope of the claims, except insofar as they may be precluded by the prior art.